Automatic railroad block system.



F. J. SIMMEN.

AUIOMATIC RAILROAD BLOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I4, l9l4.

Patented Jul y 25, 191.6.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. i. SEMMEN.

AUTONNHC RAELHOAD BLOCK SYSTEM.

2 SHEETSW-SHEET 2.

11 M w w. l tm uucufor PATENT PAUL J. SIIMEN, QF BUFFALO, NEW YEK.

,B UTOMATIC RALROAD BLOCK SYSTEM..

Original application filed Iune To all yv7/.om t may concern Be it known that I, PAUL J. SIMMnN, a citizen of .the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Eric and State of New York, hare `inventedcertain new and useful Improvements nlutoinatic Railroad Block Systems, of ,wfiichfthe following is a specification.v j, f/ /f YThe present .invention relates to an automatic hlocl: signal system for railroads, the ol'iject of the invention being to provide a 'system of this character which in general will he more certain and efficient in ,operation than the block systems heretofore employed, andl which furthermore vill apprise the cnginodrivcr or motorinan whenever there is a defect in the cali circuit or in the line circuit, thel present application being a division of application, Serial No. 377,(ll2, lilcd .lune 3, 1907.

A lurther object of theyresent invention is to provide a system of this character, .ispecially adapted for a single track rail road, in which there is .a' set of signals for ingoiug trains and another set cf .signals for outgoing trains, all of which signals are normally at clear, and which are so arranged that a train lpassing in either direction into a part of the track between two sidings or stations will set at danger all the signals between sidings or stations for trains passing in the other direction.

In theaccompanying drawings: Figure .is a diagrammatic view. of'one form of the system adapted foi-.a double-direction singletrck road. Fig. is a continuation of the saine and exemplifies a modification, and

Fig. 3 is a. diagrammatic View of the calo circuit ofthe two systems illustrated.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of. the

drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a. railroad track, along which` is located, at spaced points, stations A, which may be in the form of sidings 7 9,'and which divide the said track into main blocks, each of these Aniain blocks being'divided by intermediate signal stations B into sub-blecks. A series ot' these signal stations is located on each sideoi the track i, and maj; he hrieily de scribed as ioliows,` their ci; i i `A eraily correspomling to the. arranan sriiied. in the parent 'appiioatioin Seri-sl 137'? Specification of Letters P`atent.

' rammed Jury 25. 191e;

3, 1907, Serial No. 377,062. Divided and this application filed ctcber 14,

19M. Serial No. 86,|339.

.Each station is provided 'with a group of contact rails, respectively designated '2, 3 and 4. Whemiver the engi e arrives at one of these contact raiis, a circuit is closed in the cal), as hereinafter described. The .first .contact rail 2 of each group serves to notify thc engine-driver to he prepared to stop be fore he passes the next Contact rail, and, consequently the distance between these rails 2 and 3 is arranged to loe the maximum distance in which any train can he stopped, quickly as possible from its maximum speed. These rails 2 and 3 of each group are ccnnected by a wire 6, and may therefore for electrical purposes, he considered as a con linuou's rail, although the signal is first given by the .rail and then repeated by the rail 3. These rails and il may lie made in a single com inuous` contact rail, hat this construction is avoided on account of expense.

ln the drawings, the signal devices are shown in their normal condition, and in this condition, a wire 7 leads from the rail l to a contact point 8, which is in contact with a contact changer 9 carried by the core l0 of the solenoids 11 and l2. Connected lwith said contact changer 9, is a. Wire l?) which leads to a wire 14, and thence to ground at l5, said ground being in this case represented by the rail of the track l. Therefore. if the contact at 8-9 is closed, the arrival of the engine both at the rail 2 and at the rail 3 closes a cab circuit. and thereby assures the engine-driver that the track ahead of him is clear. For the presont, without considering other ditions that may arise, the train then pref the engine arrives at the rail 4 of the same group, the effect of. which is to close a circuit as follows: by a wire 17 through the front solenoid 11- of the adjacent pair of solenoids l1 and 12, then by a, Wire 18 leadingr back over the line to the rear solenoid 12 'of the pair of solenoids one sub-block behind, and then by wire A1l; to ground at 15. The effect of this is to energize the front solenoid. 1l of the pair at the 'front end of the sub-block and the rear solenoid l2 at the. roar end there-of., thereby attracting the core at the front end of the sub-bloei; foe wahl and retractinjz tinl core at the 1 of the subiflmlr, piace at cada i tile station, and when the engine arrives at the next station in advance, said core is returned to its normal condition in which the contacts 8 and 9 are closed. Thus, as the engine passes each signal station, it sepa-rates the contacts 8 and 9 of the station immediately behind, which if closed, would actuate the clear signal in the cab, as hereinafter described, so that the succeeding train may pass any station at the rear end of any subblock, on which there is no train, but is warned against passing into a block where there is already a train. By mechanism hereinafter described, the breaking of the circuit at the points 8 and 9, also actuates a danger signal in the cab of the succeeding train.

The circuit in the cabis illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3. Referring to said figure, two shoes 2l are illustrated as carried by a hanger 22 loosely supported from the truck frame and normally depressed by springs 23 compressed between said hanger and plates 24 attached to the truck frame, as shown at 25. Said contact shoes are adapted to contact successively with the contact rails 2, 3 and 4 located along the opposite sides of the track, as already explained. These rails are of the usual construction, in that they are beveled at the ends, at which the shoes first make contact.

. From each shoe, a wire 26 leads to a switch 86 thatis connected with a wire 26a con-A nected to a solenoid 27, thenby a wire 28 to a generator 29, and from thence by wires 30 to contact points 31, which are adapted to be closed by contact arms 32 extending upward from the hanger 22. From the arms 32 lead wires 33 through a resistance 34 to the contact shoes 21.

lVhen either Contact shoe 21 arrives at a contact rail, the shoe is raised and thereby breaks the circuit between the contacts 31 and 32. The breaking of this circuit, if the outside circuit is not closed, denergizes the solenoid 27, and thereby releases the core 36 thereof, which thereupon drops and strikes a bell 37, or in some other way, either directly by a danger signal, or indirectly by the closure of a local cab alarm circuit, as is common in the art, informs the driver that the track is not clear. But if the core 10 at the signal station at which the engineer arrives has been retracted by the rear solenoid 12, thereat, so that the contact is closed between the-points 8 and 9 of said signal station, then the solenoid 37 is stillv energized, the circuit therethrough being closed as follows: from the generator 29 by the wire' 28 through the solenoid 27, wire 263 and one ofthe wires 26 to the contact shoe 2l., which isV in contact with one ofY the rails 2 or=3, by the Wire 7 from said contact rail, through contacts 8 and 9, wire 13 to ground at 15, then from the ground to tion.

`the'aXle or other grounded portion of the engine, and by a wire 39 to the Wire 30, and

thence to the 'other pole of the generator 29. And clearly this circuit through the solenoid 27, and the ground is not closed unless the'contacts 8 and 9 are closed by the core 10 having been retractedv by the passage of a train sufficiently far ahead.

The circuit, which is closed by the passage of the train past the Contact rail .4, is also closed by the cab just as it is closed by the passage over the rails 2 and 3, namely, from one of the shoes 21, wires 26 and 26, solenoid 27, wire 28, generator 29 and wires 30 and 39 to ground. On the outside it follows to the ground 15 at a signal station one block in the rear, and thence by the wire 111 through the rear solenoid 12 of the rear station, then returning by the line wire 18 in the manner already explained. The closing of this circuit retracts the corev toward the rear solenoid, and again closes the contacts 8MS), so that the clear signal may be given to succeeding trains at the rear signal sta- At the same time, the passage of the rail l gives the danger signal to the engineer., whenever for any reason the above circuit is imperfect or broken, for then no current, or an insuiiicient current passes through the circuit, and the core of the solenoid 27 drops, giving the' danger signal.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be evident that either shoe 21 may be thrown into the above-described circuits on one side of' the track, while the opposite shoe and the coacting signal rails and circuits can be cut out. This is accomplished by means of the switch 86, which may connect .either of the wires 26 with the Wlre 26a. Considering now that the said switch is positioned, as indicated in Fig. 3, the shoe at ,the left hand side of the cab then controls the operation of the solenoid. If the switch be thrown in the other direction, then the right hand shoe controls, and the movements of the left hand shoe have no effect upon the solenoid circuit.

The system disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, as already stated, is particularly adapted to single-track railroads, in which it is desired to protect a tra-in, not only from the approach of a train going in the same direction at the rear and at the front, but also from trains going in the opposite direction.

In Figs. 1 and 2 considered as -one diagram, two main blocks and three stations or sidings are illustrated, these sidings being shown at a distance from each other equal f ihave a separate series of solenoids and on ide'ofthe track are used for both dig'e 'n.s,anihsiieli-a'systein is herein ilhistrat From iwhatjhas already been stated, it y will be' readily seen that when any ingoing 'Lio .train in 4the position between. two sidings, one or the other of the solenoids between the sidings, dependent-upon the position ot' the train, ,will beset at danger. This fact isutilized in the following manner: to vgive the danger signalfto' an`-outgoing train to prevent it passing the first siding, and thus entering the lportion of the track between ythe two sidings. Attached to each core oi the iystem, is a.contact plate S0. AlLof these contact plates are interpoc d. in series ina .wire S1 connected at one ei d to the ground through a Contact 82 and awire 14, the ohject of the latter beirig hereinafter explained, and connected at the other end to block station at the first sid'fnff.

the ContactI 9 ot' the solenoid ot'the niain The contacts 8 at the main block stations or. sidings l are connected with the ground, not directly, buttlirough said wire 8l, and' it isto be noted that the wire 81 is connected with the. contact 9 at'the.Y main block or siding. only on opposite sides ol' the track, and al'ccts oulya `train going in the opposite direction. and it has no eilect upon a train following in the same direction.

It might lead toinconvenientdelays and stoppages if the danger signal for trains in one direction were located in thesame relative position', as for trains nioviing in* the opposite direction. For instance, ii' the iirrangeu'icnt were symmetrical for ingoing I`,and outgoing trains, it might happen that two trains moi'ing in opposite directions` ,would approach two stations adjacent to same time.

sidings and gire the danger signal at. the This obviouslyv .would stop each train, and neither could enter the track between the sidings.k Each train would wait 1 on the otheigwhich would cause a long delay that couldonly'be rectified by a report to headquarters. I ltherefore provide that the i liected to the track by the wire ifi.

.,dan, erl signal' fortrains in diiierent. direc- -tions is'given afdifferent relativeA positions. For this purpose then, for the ingoing trains, the wire 81 .is extended to a contact V82 c'ari'iedxm the core of the next sub-block station reached by a train. beforeit arrives,

said

con-

lliilV7 at the siding or main block station, contact 8'2 carried by said core being li' `an ingoing train has passed sai-d station` the effect will be to oreal-i said contact, and give the danger Sigiislto an'outgoing train arriving at the nett siding oriiiain clock 'enc tion in advance. hie ci'eced lz-ei'oixe thc lingoing train arrives at the siding, and as solenoid at the sidingor main block station, and thecontact rims therefrom direct tothe ground.

Ainodication is shown in Fig. 2, which is a continuation ot' the system from Fig. 1.

Under the system as shown in Figi l', should j the engineer disregard` the'dauger signal and pass a siding, or main block station, when a train going in the opposite direction is between two sidings, he., would get no signaI from the succeeding station.. In the modilication shown inflfig. 2, it is pro? vided that atcach .succeeding sub-block sta-"- tion he also gets a danger signal. It will be noted that in this disclosure, the wire 7 is connected through the pole changer 9 and wire Si with the ground through the wire Si on the opposite side ot the track. With this embodiment it resultsv that should the train have passedmn to a track in the main block or between two sidingswhen a train goingr in the `pposite direction is already in said bloei; or between said sidings, the circuit to the ground from the wire 14 is broken and at each succeeding station the engineer would get a danger signal.

lrom the foregoing, it is thought that the scribed. the Acombination gf a single track haring -sidings therein, a "series ,of signal controlling dciiccs for trains moving in olie direction. a-scparate series for trains moving in the opposite, direction, means actuated by the presence ol a train successively setting at positions Corresponding to danger the devices behind the'train of the series correspomliug to the direction in which the train is moving, and means actuated by the arrival Qt' a train at one Siding for Setting at positions .corresponding to danger the devices at the siding ahead, said means in- A cluding a circuit on the train that closed between the signal controlling devices, but is opened and clrctrically connected to said 'devicesl when the train arrives'thereat,

2. An. automatic raiiway hlocl; signal teni. cozni'iiising a tracliway divided nto cuit including a source of electrical energy and an alarm element on a train, and means connecting the subblocks and actuated by a trainfor automatically setting the indicatxnglcircuits in the sub-block immediately 1n the rear of the train to danger and the sub-block immediately in the rear of it to safety on the same side' of the track as the trainV and Setting an indicating circuit on the opposite Iside of the track to danger, when such trainA reaches a Sunblock.

` 3. An automatic railway block signal system, comprising a trackway divided into main blocks, each comprising sub-blocks on each side of the track, each main block and sub-block being equipped with a pair of solenoids, a circuit changer adapted tJo -be moved thereby, a pair of indicating signal rails adapted to be in a' closed circuit with a cab circuit when the circuit changer is in one position and in an open circuit when it is in anotherposition, and a setting signal rail adapted when brought into contact with the cab circuit to energize the solenoid at a sub-station other than the one atwhich the signal rail is located, in combination-With a normally closed cab circuit including a source of electrical energy and an alarm element on a train, whereby as such a train reaches a sub-block its .passage automatically sets the indicating circuit in the sub-block in the rear of it to safety on the same side of the track as the train and sets an indicating circuit on the opposite side of the track.

4, An automatic railway block si al 'system, comprising a trackway divi ed into main blocks, each comprising sub-blocks on` each side of the track, each main block and sub-block being equipped with a signal rail arranged in an .indicating circuit, and a "tem comprising signal rail arranged in a setting circuit, in combination With a normally closedcabcircuit, including a source of electrical energy and an alarm element on a train, means on the train for automatically opening the cab' circuit` when a sub-block is reached, and electrical means automatically and simultaneously connected to the source of energy of the cab circuit to set the indicating circuit onthe same side of the track in the first subblock in rearV of the train to danger, the

second sub-block in rear of the train on the -Same side of the track to safety and an indicating circuit on the opposite side of the track to danger.

5. An automatic railway clock signal systraciiway divided. into main bioclrs, each comprising sublblocirs on each side of the track, each main block and sub-block being equipped with a pair solenoids, a circuit changer adapted to be moved thereby, a. pair of indicating signal rails adapted to be in a closed circuit with a cab circuit when the circuit changer is in one position and in an open circuit when it is in another position, and a setting signal rail adapted when brought into contact With the cab circuit to energize the solenoid at a subfstation other than the one at which the signal rail is located,vin combination with a normally closed 4cab circuit including a source of electrical energy and an alarm 'element on a train, andmeans carried bythe train and electrically connected to the cab circuit for automaticallyopening the same when a sub-block is reached and 'simulta neously delivering current from said source of electrical energy through the signal rails and through certain of the solenoids to set the circuit in a sub-block in rear of the train on the same side ofthe track to safety Y conditionsI and set all the indicating circuits von the opposite side of the track Within the main block to danger conditions. j

6. An automatic railway block signal sys-y tem, comprising a single trackway divided into main blocks, each comprising two 'sets of sub blocks respectively for oppositely moving trains, a normally .closed cab`circu1t,

means for opening the cabl circuit at eachv sub-block station and block station and com` pleting it through mechanism in said block station outside Vthe cab, and means operated by mechanism in said completed circuit at said block station for establislung a danger lsignal in the cab of a train moving inthe same direction in rear of the said first-mentioned cab, and in the cab of a trainmov-ing i first-mentioned cab. Y t

7. An automatic railway block signal system, comprising a single trackway divided into main blocks, each comprising two sets of sub-blocks, respectively, foro positely movin; trains, a normally closed ca circuit, means for opening the cab circuit at each sub-block station and block station and completing it through mechanism in said block station outside the cab, means operated by mechanism in said completed circuit at such block station for establishing a danger gigi nal in the cab of a train moving in the sai-me direction in rear olf the said irst-mentioned in the opposite direction in advance of the' l05 siibizfiocic Station anni block station and oompiftiiig it through mechanism; in saifli blook station outside the cab, a soieiioid in said vompiotvd circuit outside the cab, and moans 5 opor-ated by the, said solenoid. when energized by said circuit for prove/:itin the closing of u similar cui) circuit at ii Sui;i lock stationiu mir nini 'for pvimitting the dosing of a, circu.. in :im :second gub-block satfon in rear, mui preventing the, dosing' of a circuit :it zx sui; -book tation in advance.

2. A11 automa tu; railway block signal icm, minimising a Single miioiiway di ded iiizo main biocks, oooh ooiiiprisizig two sets 1.1i? subfiiwgks, ,iespootiveiy, for oppositoiy ii-uio, :i noiiimiiy closed mib circuit, fox opening the ozio Circuit :it each iiifcii' station und block satioii und. comYA ii'. thx'ougii mooi'miiism in said block mm1 oisff'ifo dii:-

the mi). ii soienoil in said 'fuiopi d circuit oiitido tho cabi and iiiezuzs oi i. if); the, Said solenoiii when energized by d Circuit Vfor @wyoming the oiosing of M .1.. .Qi'iziiiaii Eiwit fx1. thv iii-st main biook stw- *iii-if ii; vom, :if i iiiniii Mook Station iii ad i :if @zich miiriiiook Stai-imi buio/oon main block siifuiiou iii .idi'mi und ai?. wiiidi tix@ .fsiii circuit is {zio-Sofi.

im autonmiio railway block Signal n, isiinipi'isiiig u, ie ti'wckway diinw moin iiioi, i of Sii/id main f im iiiriiiii/.i ini-o ivm Si' i; im' trains iiioifiiig in imo {i} ouoi sof; for trui imiviii'g in to direction@ ii f i vices on the train for indicating cloni signal controllers for :Ehe opposite sot of subblocks, und means oosiroiod by a train entiai-ing n main blook in one iteration for soif' ting at danger the op osito signal continuer at the othei end of tie main block and the Signal controller of @zich opposie siibbiofk in said main block. said moana including io :md danger conditions of said sysm.

11. in automatic raii'way hiook :igual systeiri. iromprising ai single tmokwiiy iiivided imo main biockstv ouch of' said main mocks being divided iiito two sots of slib blocks, one sot for trains moving; in orio di faction, the other Set for trains moving in the opposite direction, :1 sot of signal sfonti'olicrs for ono set of sub-`oiocks, si of signal controllers. for he opposite set suirbiooks. and means Controlled by rsiiii f entering a main biock in one direction for sewing at danger the opposite signai nonVV tiolici' zit the other end of the. main biooki, the signai contioier of cach opposite sub block in said main biock, und tho signal conti'oim' for twins operating' iii the same. fiix'o *Lion zu.: und iovziteii in rear of Said train, .nifl umani; ixii'ziuding' devices, on thoimiii tim' inicating oixir :and dfiiiggof conditions of said system.

Iii testimony whereof mii); my signature in pssienco oi" two wi'iosse,

Ywitiiosss z ,i-DA L. MILLER, MARY H. Limia. 

